Hastert shows he's Republican Presidential candidate material
Boeing Has a Powerful Ally With Hastert
House Speaker Throws His Clout Behind Controversial Air Force Tanker Deal
By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 18, 2004; Page A10
Congress is poised to appropriate $100 million to keep one of the federal government's most scandal-ridden and contentious programs -- the Air Force's plan to replace its aging aerial-refueling tankers with new Boeing 767s.
Insiders say that the primary reason for the payout is that House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has made Boeing Co.'s cause his own.
Hastert has worked aggressively behind the scenes to keep the tanker contract in Boeing's hands at least in part, his spokesman said, because Boeing is headquartered in Chicago, not far from his congressional district. Boeing also has needed the help. Questions about the cost of the program, among other worries, have prompted the Pentagon to put off deciding its fate until year-end at the earliest.
